Spengler Cup 2017 Referees and Linesmen

This year’s Spengler Cup tournament takes place from December 26-31 in Davos, Switzerland. The teams participating in this year’s invitational event are: Switzerland’s HC Davos, Team Canada, Team Switzerland, Finland’s HPK, Dinamo Riga from the KHL, and Czech team Mountfield HK

Here are this year’s Spengler Cup officials:

Referees

Stefan Eichmann (SUI)

Mark Lemelin (USA/AUT)

Anssi Salonen (FIN)

Daniel Stricker (SUI)

Marcus Vinnerborg (SWE)*

Tobias Wehrli (SUI)

Linesmen

Cedric Borga (SUI)

Nicolas Fluri (SUI)

Roman Kaderli (SUI)

Bryce Kovacs (SUI)

David Obwegeser (SUI)

* Due to injury, referee Marcus Vinnerborg will not take part in this year’s tournament. Referee Tobias Wehrli will take his place.

American Mark Lemelin officiated NHL games until 2016 and since then has worked in the EBEL, the transnational league of Austria, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovenia, both as referee and assistant to the head of education. The Finn Anssi Salonen, who has been in the top league in Finland since 2008, the Liiga, and also participated in IIHF World Championships, also has great experience .

Three Swiss referees – Marcus Vinnerborg, Daniel Stricker and Stefan Eichmann – have been cosen to work the tournament. Vinnerborg was the first European referee in the NHL (2010-11 and 2011-12); during his North American career he officiated 40 NHL games and 150 AHL games. In addition, he refereed the quarter-finals between Russia and Finland at the Olympic Games in Sochi. Since the 2014-15, the Swede has worked in the Swiss National League A.

Stricker was at the World Championships in Cologne and Paris for the second time as head referee and was even selected to referee the final between Sweden and Canada. A formative experience for the experienced 42-year-old professional referee, especially as the final overtime went and finally was only decided in the shootout. An overtime is a very big challenge, says Stricker. “Both teams risk not so much, but with every whistle there is the risk that a team can profit from it.”

Eichmann, a professional referee since 2013-14, made his Spengler Cup debut in 2014.

Linesmen Roman Kaderli and Nicolas Fluri can also look back on successful World Cup and Spengler Cup appearances as they suit up for this year’s tournament. Cedric Borga and Bryce Kovacs are in action for the third time in the Spengler Cup. The linesmen will be completed by David Obwegeser , who will be on duty for the second time at the annual tournament .

Best of luck to the officials working this year’s Spengler Cup tournament!